Browsed byCategory: Fertility

How Can I Feed My Family?

This is a question I ask myself a lot. It comes with other questions like “What can I feed my family that is healthy?” or “What are the meals my family will actually eat?” or “What do I have time to make that is easy?”. This also comes along with budget and cost of meals too.

This question became even more daunting for me as my son Noah turned 2, and we found out we were having another boy. Would I have the time and the space to cook for everyone and their appetites without going crazy and needing to haul trucks of food to my house?!?! I needed a PLAN.

To add to the task, Brynn, my step-daughter, is a picky eater and is only with us half the time. So, I had to make a plan that would have healthy meals that catered to her modern child taste buds. I also needed a way to track meal planning with Brynn’s schedule. This helped me make a good rotation that would provide variety and allow me to plan shopping and prepping food ahead for quick meals.

What do you do with all that turkey?

Sometimes it is hard to get creative with using up all of your Thanksgiving leftovers, and kids (and adults) don’t always want to eat all that turkey and mashed potatoes in the same way for the next week. Plus, it would be nice to have some lighter options that are easy to throw together, right? That’s what I thought.

So, I gathered up two ideas for some gluten-free, refined sugar-free, egg-free sandwiches to use up some of those leftovers. I made a cranberry, brie, and turkey panini and a cranberry BBQ slider.

The first option uses up some cranberry sauce, turkey, and your cheese of choice. I think swiss, sharp cheddar, gouda, or maybe even blue cheese would be great, but I went with brie cheese. The cranberry sauce I used for both options came from the FlavCity blog because it is only made with cranberry juice, orange juice, cranberries, and honey. It was so easy to make and tastes very traditional if you like stuff from a can even. It is a great flavor for kids.

For the second option, I snagged Giada de Laurentiis’s cranberry BBQ sauce recipe, but I used Tessamae’s BBQ sauce because it is sweetened with dates instead of sugar. I liked adding some grass-fed sharp cheddar on top of the turkey too.

Cheap, Easy Weeknight Meal

I have been loving the idea of soup and sandwiches with the fall weather cooling down. However, I wanted something easy to make that I could still control the ingredients.

So, I found a great recipe for a copycat version of Panera tomato soup, and I modified some of the ingredients. Then, I put a fun spin on the classic grilled cheese and purchased ingredients I felt comfortable with.

Even with grass-fed, gluten-free, and organic ingredients, the meal per person was less than $6.50, and I am sure that many people could find even better deals on some of the ingredients than I did.

Cost per Person (Family of 4)

Make a Plan!

How many of us struggle to have enough time to cook? I know I do, and I love to cook. But, honestly, I want to spend the least amount of time cooking that I can because I have a lot of other things I want to do, and there are only 24 hours in a day. Plus, dinner time is probably the worst time to try and cook, especially if you are coming home from work and have kids that want your attention right when you get home.

So, let’s get it done in a few hours, clean the kitchen ONCE, and then mostly have to just reheat throughout the week. It saves SO MUCH TIME!!!

This week it is 5 weeknight meal prep. These meals are gluten-free, egg-free, and refined sugar-free (can also be made dairy free).
I hope you and your family enjoy the meals and time saving ideas as much as Noah and I enjoyed making these together. As I say in the video, if I can do it with a toddler, you can definitely do it! It got a little crazy in this one, but we definitely has some laughs and some fun!

Tracking My First Pregnancy

I am definitely a numbers girl. I love data, and so, when I found out that we were pregnant. I thought it would be fun to track everything from my symptoms, weight, emotions, etc.

It has been great to look back on for several reasons. I got to see what helped my different symptoms, and that has been especially helpful in my second pregnancy. I also thought it was interesting to learn more about my body through conceiving, birth and postpartum.

I loved keeping track of all the appointments and what we talked about. I thought keeping track of stats and questions were really helpful to look back on. Plus, it made me feel confident that I was doing a good job taking care of my baby, which was actually really reassuring. When I felt so out of control of your body in many ways, this helped me feel more in control.

I also liked to track my weight and digestion to make sure that I was eating balanced food. By keeping a chart, it was easy to see that I got bloated and constipated when I ate junk food or too many treats. I didn’t want to go into pregnancy with the common mindset of it being a free for all or eating for two. I wanted to gain enough healthy weight for my baby, and then, be able to lose it easily and in a healthy way. For me, I was able to learn that gaining between 20-25 lb allows me to have a healthy 8 lb 2 oz baby with a large placenta. I credit that to eating a lot of whole foods and exercising regularly.

Finally, I made notes from baby center and reminders for myself of when to start taking certain supplements or do certain exercises. I planned for a natural birth, and so, I had some additional things to keep track of. It was really helpful to know that at least weekly, I would look at this spreadsheet and get reminders to start certain regiments. It was really helpful!

My Stats and Symptoms with My Son in 2015

Week

Dates

Ideal Weight Gain-Single

Actual Weight

Exercise

How am I feeling? Cravings/Appetite

1

12/31/2014

130

130

run

eat 6 dates a day

increase Vitamin C

get appointments for Webster techniques/exercises

2

1/7/2014

130

130

run

moody

breast tenderness

not any major symptoms

tracking CM for ovulation

using Pre-seed during the expected fertility window

3

1/14/2015

130

129

run

getting tired and nauseous

I don’t really want to eat much

I need to put together workouts

January 8th (1 dpo)-feel very nauseous throughout the day, dizzy, headachey, and I do not have any more visible CM in my underwear. I am guessing I ovulated yesterday, and therefore, I am in my luteal phase. I think I am getting sick because of the rising progesterone. I need to eat more grains and greens this week so I don’t get sick., I don’t recall having sex this day

-Jan 9 (2 dpo)-had last glass of wine, i think we were still using pre-seed for a few days

-January 10th (3 dpo) – relaxing day, errands, went out on a date night to Longhorn Steakhouse, I remember around these days thinking that some CM came back and temps got weird for a second and wondered if I miscalculated O’ing (or just increased white CM in luteal phase)

-January 12 (5 dpo)-had a lot of cramping, pinching in abdomen and had a very strange hot flash in the morning, felt kind of snappy in the evening when Brendon ate candy without me and I had wanted to make s’mores but I don’t think I showed it, also increased libido, for once I didn’t think our bedroom was cold, Snap slept by my feet all night last night which hasn’t happened in awhile

-January 13 (6 dpo) -BFN, little nauseous on the way to work and feverish, Anne even said I was flushed and felt my head, some waves of cold, wanted treats badly and normally I am indifferent (had a brownie), I smell really strong to myself (sweet, bready), annoyed when dinner wasn’t ready when I got home, they say animals are very attracted to pregnant women or kids just know you are pregnant-Brynn was very attached to me that night (for comfort and love) and she mentioned having a sister, felt bloated and some cramping

**first positive pregnancy test was 5 days after this day-I have read it can take that long for a urine test to show a positive. The implantation occurred in the afternoon, and the urine test was in the morning.(so really 4 days??)

January 15 (8 dpo)- BFN, I cried on the way to work today, but who know if that was because of pregnancy or because i am in a bad mood because of how people treated me last night, some pain in breasts, woke up feeling hungover/headachy (but Brendon said he did too so maybe it’s just the cold weather drying us out), feeling warm, feeling headachy. by the afternoon I am in absolute rage mode (probably shouldn’t talk to anyone especially Brendon) and I am really dreading being around Brynn this weekend. I don’t want to spend my birthday with her and skiing seems like such an utter hassle, heightened anxiety (Bre texting to say Brynn has fever of 103), thought I was going to puke at Kroger, didn’t want graham cracker and icing when Brendon made it

-Jan 19 (12 dpo) – faintest positive line (BFP), used dipstrip, nausea has increased and I still feel hot, last week I tapered off one pill of maca and today I took away one pill of vitex, I still feel hot and thirsty, out of breath after walking up stairs, tightness in abdomen, got my blood work done this morning and asked that they add a blood pregnancy test into the test request, took a test when I got home and it was fainter than the morning (only could see it if you held the morning test next to it)-I drank a lot of water during the day so it makes sense it would dilute, fatigue

– Jan 20 (13 dpo) – faint BFP again using dip strip, hot face and thirsty, a little nausea with coffee but not very nauseous all day (took b6), blood work came back with a slight positive (17.0 hcg) so I have to go back tomorrow to test again

-January 21st would be my expected next period- BFP on dipstrip and FRER (both very visible), very emotional, 4 weeks pregnant today, went to get my bloodwork done again, I have read that HCG levels don’t consistently start to double until 6-7 weeks, call this week to schedule appt with OB-GYN, doctor called and said that my level is at 47.6 (multiplied by 2.8 since last test) but they want me to come back and test again in a week, when we took a shower at night I noticed darkening of my breast skin and size

4 (end month 1)

1/21/2015

130

130

run

positive pregnancy test

emotional

exhausted

cramps

hard to run

5

1/28/2015

131

130

run

retest blood work: new HCG level is 936.7 (levels are multiplying by 2.7 every 48 hours)

cramping

gassy

6

2/4/2015

131

130

run

restless leg

vivid dreams

boobs are sore

7

2/11/2015

131.5

130

minimal

fatigue, morning sickness

8 (end month 2)

2/18/2015

132

130

minimal

fatigue, nausea, had some anal bleeding on 2/17/15 and 2/18

9

2/25/2015

132.5

130

minimal

10

3/4/2015

133

130.6

minimal

noticing cravings for spicy food and Mexican food

11

3/11/2015

133.5

132

run, strength

getting energy back

12

3/18/2015

134

132.2

run, walk

swollen feet

ears plugged-due to water retention?

very itchy back and shoulders

13 (end 1st Trimester)

3/25/2014

134.5

134.2

run, walk

** start drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea every day once second trimester starts

bump up calories

baby’s heartrate 163

4.2 weight gain in first trimester

nuceal fold 0.102? or 1.02 can’t remember – very low risk

14

4/1/2015

135

135.4

run, strength

15

4/8/2015

135.5

135.8

run, strength

very bloated and sluggish from holiday weekend

16

4/15/2015

136

136

run, strength

vitamins made me throw up on 4/12/15, ligaments around uterus/groin tense

had a few more treats than usual this past week and started exercising more – so I think this extra weight gain is muscle or water weight

19

5/6/2015

138

138.6

run,swim,bike

genetic testing: 1/980 risk factor based on age, 1/100,000 risk based on test, negative test results for downs and trisomy

ate a ton for Brendon’s birthday=bloated, getting fuller faster/bloated (was 139.6 technically on Wednesday but that was a lot of bloating and not real weight gain so I officially used Thursday’s weight-planning to be better about how many treats I eat

20 (find out gender)

5/13/2015

139

138.8

run, bike

gender reveal = BOY

started to wear pregnancy girdle (Gabrialla) just when running

heart rate is 150

small cyst on brain (similar to blister)-rechecked at 28 weeks to make it goes away

baby currently breech (butt down)

anterior placenta but high so not a concern

21 (end month 5)

5/20/2015

140

140.2

run,bike

Hypnobabies and hospital paperwork

pick baby name and color of room

22

5/27/2015

141

141.8

run, bike

loving french dip sammies (beef and blue cheese)

felt like it was a growth spurt week with hunger and extra sleeping/napping

23

6/3/2015

142

143

run, bike

pretty bloated or growth spurt this week

went for sushi and snacked (was really 144.4 on Wed but knew it was from sushi)

ran a 6 miler this week and started wearing compression socks while running

having some acid issues while running

heartbeat 144, my blood pressure was 100/80

25

6/17/2015

144

143.6

run

digestive system is a mess

running is harder

nesting in full effect

26 (end month 6)

6/24/2015

145

143.8

run, kayak

complete fitness journal

order belle bandit

on Saturday woke up and gained a pound overnight, went to bathroom but didn’t feel it was ‘enough’ considering how much fruit/veg I ate, and then on Tuesday took cranberry pill with lemon water, on Wed morning, system totally cleaned out and I lost the lb

27 (end 2nd Trimester)

7/1/2015

146

146.2

run, bike

start eating 400 extra calories per day to gain 1 lb per week-focus on protein and keep carbs/sugars moderate

28

7/8/2015

147

146.2

run, swim

7/1/15 – ran 6 miles and had intense BH contractions for a few hours-at appt doctor said I should reduce running because premature labor is considered 5-6 contractions for 2 hours

It is typically recommended to be drinking 30oz of RRLT a day beginning at 30 weeks, staying regular by eating greens and flax seed, aiming for 15 miles a week (5 * 3 miles), forward lean inversion

Appt 7/21: measuring right on 29 weeks fundal height, glucose test-68 (they just want it to be under 140), iron-12 (most pregnant women get 10-11, which is barely passing), heart rate-134, Dr. Tremp said only sticking point for birthplan is they want you to have at least a heplock but prefer IV, said he is still in my pelvis

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/hic-blood-glucose-test results 50-70 for glucose are only seen in healthy people

30 (end month 7)

7/22/2015

149

147.8

run

start packing hospital bag and have nursery together, make big sibling basket, baby should go head down around this week, able to go #2 twice a day at this point (6am and 3:30pm)

comfort measures class

31

7/29/2015

150

146.4

run

7/23-weight went down to 146.8, 7/24-weight went down to 146.2 (still going twice a day because of increased veggies)

32

8/5/2015

151

146.2

run

want to start taking the calcium/magnesium supplement (with dinner) I bought to support my mineral levels-it is supposed to help with labor contractions (Ca & Mg)

Get organized with diaper stockpile (approximately what we will need for 1st year):

**in these last two months really focus on protein intake to support surfactant protein A (SP-A) production (baby’s lungs) that are the last to mature in utero and signal when he is ready to be born (hormone release)

hunger has increased since 7/30 and starting to get more tired

8/4 appt with Dr. Mirate- blood pressure 118/78, she said Noah is staying on left side and head down (I might have a horn on that side of my uterus to explain why he has always been on that side), he is measuring right on even though I haven’t gained weight/lost weight, his heartrate- 137

night of 8/11 – had an hours long episode of Braxton Hicks with nausea

8/17 – Dr. Seiler said measuring right on for 33 weeks, heartbeat – 136 and very easy to find

birth center tour: TDaP for parentsCan leave 24 hours after delivery, if strep B negative, for vaginal birthCircumcision happens around 24 hoursBaby has to wait 2 hours after circumcision to be released

had some Klavon’s and just seemed to have some issues staying regular twice a day without taking Fiber and wasn’t able to go to bathroom first thing everyday

34

8/19/2015

153

147.8

run

4.75 lb (based on Baby Center)

once I hit this week, if I went into labor, I would not have to be shipped to Sparrow for high risk birth – can stay at McLaren

noticed an increase in exhaustion and anxiety – cortisol must be surging quite a bit right now so I need to focus on supporting my adrenals and sleeping

not able to go #2 first thing in the morning anymore – need to take fiber/caffeine/water and still it takes until about 8:30

35 (end month 8)

8/26/2015

154

147

run

8/21/15 – was told I look like I have dropped, feeling more pressure in vag/low belly (stretch marks came in)/increased constipation but not sure because I don’t have to pee that much more

8/24/15 – having much more intense BH with twinges/pinches in cervix (effacement or dilation?), back pain, had two ribs out at chiropractor this week

8/25/15 – thought I peed myself this morning then saw underwear, and I am pretty sure I lost at least a huge part of my mucus plug, back pain to the point of feeling nauseaous

5.25 lb & 18 inches (based on Baby Center)

have nursery done and shopping done

Can hand express milk after 35 weeks; refrigerate for 48 hours(?), and then freeze. Can be used for 24 hours after thawing

last run (he dropped on a nerve on 8/28 – made it to about 450 miles run in pregnancy

36

9/2/2015

155

148.6

run, walk (done running because he dropped)

6 lb & 18.5 inches (based on Baby Center)

sciatic nerve pain on left side for a week or two 8/28 – tried to run in morning and something happened where I cannot even walk properly without holding sciatic nerve, did forward leaning inversion and that seemed to move him and help him continue to drop (I have to get up and pee once a night now)

9/1/15 – Dr. Tremp appt: He was very active, did Group B Strep, he is fully engaged and in pelvis (She said with runners babies go low early, and once I start contracting the pressure on my cervix will make it dilate), measuring right on track

**Head to hospital when contractions are 45 sec long, can’t talk, 5 min apart for at least an hour

37

9/9/2015

156

148.2

swim, walk

6.33 lb & 19 in (based on Baby Center)

start pumping colostrum, bake almond joy oatmeal cookies, relax/boost oxytocin (eat favorite foods and be affectionate) some people stop gaining weight at this stage because they are so large and everything is pushed out, clean the house

have 37 week appt with doulas, drink coconut water with pineapple juice; Food mentioned containing oxytocin besides chocolate include protein rich foods, such as eggs. chicken, beans, apples, bananas, beets, watermelon and wheat germ, if you’re not allergic to any of them.

boost melatonin with tart cherry juice at night, coconut water at night supports adrenals to relax

reduce cortisol/stress – sugar and inflammatory foods raise cortisol

nadi shodhana (stress reliever)

strong sense of calm for the last week to week and a half – for the past few weeks I have really focused on my fat intake (i.e. adding a spoonful of sunflower seed butter (contains zinc that helps use hormonal data), lox, coconut/almond butter, butter, etc. I have not gained more weight just hoping to support Noah’s development (brain, heart, lungs) and my hormones to prepare us both for birth

adding mango to fruit I eat in morning seems to be keeping me regular again

adding vinegar to water that you drink before any high carb intake lessens the blood sugar spike you would undergo by about 30%, going for walk right after food does the same thing as well-vinegar also good to do before Group B test

pelvis very mobile

9/6/15 – we went to McLaren to check if water had broken: water had not broken, Noah was extremely active with heartbeat of 125, was less than a cm dilated, cervix long (not effaced?) and GBS test was negative, my blood pressure was perfect, contractions could be seen on monitor I just couldn’t feel them

walk up stairs – every other step while taking wide steps (to get baby low)

laughing during labor-makes labor progress more swiftly, ensures lots of blood is still flowing to uterus/baby, reduces perineum damage. similar to hypnosis, endorphins are released, nature’s best pain killer.

feeling nauseous this week, fuller, but also harder to go to the bathroom

nausea, contractions, tightening in back (mid to upper), had lots of sex this week and EPO

made some unhealthy eating choices this week – Thursday – Monday (grilling night at life group, monte cristo/sweet potato fries/two sugar cookies at Kara’s shower, Buddies’ for lunch Sunday, Dairy Dan’s on Monday) so I think this led to bloating and the higher perceived weight gain this week

9/18 – constipated, took fiber day before and today, lots of fruit and no urge

9/22 – 3 hours of contractions 4 – 10 min apart and they got more intense. Went to bed and they stopped (even had sex to try and induce).

9/23 – nausea, body clearing itself out in morning, contractions all day, went to chiropractor/bounced on ball/spinning babies inversion/sex/EPO

9/24 – appt with Dr. Maser – blood pressure 106/72, heart rate – 130, cervical check – 3 cm dilated, 75% effaced, and his head is VERY low, predicted to have him by the weekend, measuring 37 for fundal height, also lost a large amount of mucus while in the waiting room of the office

40 (end month 9)

9/30/2015

159

151.2

bounce, walk, run/jog

9/26-9/28 – nausea & diarrhea getting progressively worse each day, more tired, more mucus, lots of sensations of opening in cervix and he seems to be getting lower somehow

after giving birth assess weight and set up fitness plan, bio oil if I have stretch marks, take glucosamine postpartum for sore joints that still have relaxin, take blessed thistle with fenugreek to up milk supply

Birth

9/30/2015

151.2

Water broke at 7 pm in bathroom as we were trying to go to the Y, and he was born at 10: 24 pm. I told Brynn and Brendon to still go and I would get ready. I started gushing on floor and ran up to our shower. Then I grabbed a towel and put on running shorts to hold it. I went downstairs to finish stuff like Brynn’s lunch for the next day and stood on another towel. Left the house with contractions 2-3 min apart. Got to hospital check in at 8:33. In triage, I was checked at over 9 cm and +1 station. Before then I was very scared for what I was feeling so intensely because things were progressing so fast, but I didn’t know. I was telling Brendon “But, seriously I want drugs. Our nurse was also a doula, and she was just telling me to get through each one. Standing up during contractions and relaxing pelvic floor. Bleeding meant cervical change. The nurse was going to have Brendon fill out paperwork but changed her mind when she saw there was no time. We had to back date it and fill it out after the birth, First check in delivery room was a 10. I fell into Brendon during a contraction and said I have to poop. They told me to get on the table so I didn’t have the baby on the floor. Then they said, “You wanted a natural birth right? Well, good because you don’t have a choice. Started pushing on side but was not very effective. Pooping. Started pushing on back. 3- 10 sec pushes per contraction. I started out going very hard pushing at first part but that wore me out. They gave me some oxygen because it seemed I was tiring and Noah’s heartrate was going down (even though he has always had a low runner heartrate). Maser told me to ease into it, and it started going a lot faster. Started to feel “ring of fire”, but it wasn’t unbearable. Contractions slow down during pushing to let you rest, and they are not really painful, just pressure. I just knew it was getting closer. They were pouring oil or water on me to stretch. They told me he had a lot of hair, I asked what color, and they said black. I said “aww, like his daddy”, and that seemed to perk me up. As I was making progress, they asked me to keep pressure down there so that he would stay there, and they were amazed with the control I had, especially for not having an epidural. I got the head out, and Dr. Maser said for the rest to do small pushes. He came out with a nucal hand, which was really uncomfortable and his face got a bit of a bruise. I did not tear though. Brendon was very involved and got to watch everything, which made him so excited after. When they plopped him on my stomach, they asked Brendon to cut the cord and he said “Alright!” with a huge smile and proudly grabbed the scissors. I delivered the placenta, and it was huge meaning good nutrition and high oxygen due to running. They stamped Noah’s footprints on his arms, and he was proudly showing them off. He went over with Noah for the weight check, and Noah grabbed his finger very tightly. He was strong.

exposing him to fresh air in the afternoon may help him to sleep at night (go for walks/runs): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1477238/A-daily-dose-of-fresh-air-helps-babies-to-sleep-longer-at-night.html

exposing him to a second language and music early may make him smarter – play music during day time naps

10/2/2015

141.6

10/3/2015

140.2

10/4/2015

138

10/5/2015

135.4

10/6/2015

136

walking, play music/red to him/expose him to different languages to stimulate brain, tummy time

10/7/2015

135

cluster feeding day and night

10/8/2015

135

uterus definitely shrinking back to normal, start pumping even when he is not feeding

skin to skin to stimulate prolactin for more milk & pumping after feeding, ran walked-wear running pregnancy belt to support pelvic floor

10/18/2015

134.4

eating more veggies and body has started pooping more, itch is less

10/30/2015

my weight loss seems to be stalling, dealing with some constipation this week when Noah went through a growth spurt and was feeding all the time, bleeding stopped this week and I am running 15 miles a week

figuring out how many calories I burn breast feeding (each oz is 20 calories):

We are so excited to be pregnant with our next and probably final child!

We are so excited about welcoming another baby to our family in January 2018. We are considering it the “final leg” of our Speedy Thiede marathon relay team. Yes, we are runner geeks.

Conceiving this time was such a guessing game since I am still breastfeeding our son. It took until he was 16 months old for my cycle to return. I continued to pump at work until about 15 months, and when together, he nursed 4-5 times a day still. So, my body was not ready for another baby.

I kept trying to guess what my body was doing, but because I wasn’t cycling, I had no idea. I spent many months guessing what my body was doing and taking a bunch of negative pregnancy tests. It was really frustrating. Since I wasn’t having a cycle we planned to have sex every few days to try to catch the first ovulation before I would have a period.

Breastfeeding while Trying to Conceive

I was all for Noah nursing until he was ready to wean, and I love the idea of tandem nursing. However, this comes with its own set of complications, especially when trying to have another baby. Until I was able to nurse less or low enough amounts that my prolactin levels decreased to a level that allowed me to ovulate. That took about 7 months from when we were open to having another baby until I had my first post-partum period. Part of this delay occurred because I continued to pump at work for longer than I needed. Emotionally, I wasn’t ready to stop that because of all the nursing issues we had. I had a complex about providing every drop of milk that I could. Once I was able to make peace with the fact that he is incredibly healthy, I was able to let go of pumping, and I WAS SO MUCH HAPPIER to be able to let go!

MyFLO app

Finally, I heard that Alissa Vitti, author of Woman Code, was coming out with a MyFLO app. Typically, I am very frugal and would scoff at the cost of even a $1.99 app. However, I knew this one would be worth it.

In the app, you track your monthly cycle and symptoms. The app starts to recognize where you have issues, what areas of your cycle are long or short based on your symptoms, and the best part is it recommends lifestyle and food choices to help improve your symptoms.

Every month, I had less and less symptoms, and by the time we got pregnant, I had no symptoms. Plus, I have had a way easier first trimester this time, which I will discuss in another blog post.

Pizza is my weakness! What about you?

I love pizza! It really is my favorite food, and as a runner, I loved having it after long runs. However, after switching to a real food diet, getting take out pizza wasn’t happening anymore. I eat mostly gluten-free and try to keep my family that way. But, let’s be honest, sometimes gluten-free recipes aren’t good.

Then, I found this recipe.

It tastes great, and it makes two pizzas, which is great for a family.

We topped it with bacon, broccoli, pesto, and tomato. Noah, Brendon, and I loved it! It tasted a lot to me like the pizza you make when you use one of those dough packets you can get at the grocery store.

Recipe

Review

I definitely recommend putting oil on your hands to shape the dough on your baking sheets. I started out not having oil on them, and it just wasn’t working well.

I think it is great that the recipe makes two because for a family with various tastes you can make one that should please everyone. Plus, it doesn’t taste gluten-free! It tastes like a typical pizza that even the pickiest eater would love! I love that it bakes well and doesn’t seem like it would be very likely to be screwed up.

2 Hours of Cooking for 5 Weeknight Meals

Are you a parent that doesn’t have time to cook? Or doesn’t want to cook?

I’ve talked with many parents, and they have several struggles when it comes to feeding their family. Two main struggles are finding the time to cook healthy meals and cooking food their kids will actually eat.

Well, here is my solution, batch cooking and meal prepping for the week! You may have heard those terms before, but without having done it before, it may seem intimidating. However, here is a plan to get dinner on the table every night of the week that feeds your family nutritious food, save money, and saves you time that you can spend with your family

So, to prepare, find time on the weekend to buy your groceries and find a few hours to cook. I make sure all my proteins are organic and pastured, and I can find these cheaper at my local farmer’s market. I know weekends are busy, but this could even be a fun night time activity with you and your spouse and a glass of wine.

Let’s look at the weekly menu and then the shopping list. This will be enough for a family of 4. These meals are simple recipes that do not require fancy ingredients, lots of preparation, and these staples are options that kids love! I have tried so many Pinterest perfect recipes with my picky step-daughter, and I always go back to recipes like this because they remain her favorites. Every meal offers variety, and there is even one on the go option for those nights where you have to run to an event for your kids.

MENU:

Monday: BBQ pork chops, mashed sweet potato, carrots

Taco Tuesday: Ground Chicken Tacos with paleo wraps, cauliflower

Wednesday: Egg omelette with a banana chocolate smoothie

Thursday: Tuna salad, grain-free crackers, carrots, strawberries

Friday: Beef Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Broccoli

Shopping List:

5 lb bag of sweet potatoes

2 lb pasture-raised ground chicken

2 lb grass-fed ground beef

1 head cauliflower

1 head broccoli

2 bags of carrots

1 bag of favorite paleo approved tortilla wraps

4 5.5 oz cans of sustainable tuna in water

Avocado oil mayo

Sea Salt

Pepper

Natural relish

Sugar free BBQ sauce

1 dozen pasture-raised eggs

1 bunch of bananas

Cocoa powder

Almond butter

Coconut milk

Grain free crackers

Strawberries

Natural taco seasoning

cinnamon

Here are the steps to get everything prepped for the week. Then, during the week, you can reheat or put everything together. During the week, you will need to cook and blend your smoothies on your breakfast for dinner night, and you will need to put your meal on the go containers together if there won’t be room in your fridge for those at the beginning of the week.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Fill a pot with water, place on the stove, and heat on high until boiling.

Our story was featured in the Weston A Price journal, Wise Traditions!

Below is what I wrote in to Sally Fallon, and therefore, what got featured in the quarterly journal. I would love it though if you would hear me share my heart about our story and why I started Mama Bear Naturals in my sit down chat video that I posted here.

THRIVING

I just wanted to share my story of how the Weston A. Price Foundation has changed my life. WAPF helped me nourish my son Noah back to optimal health through breastfeeding issues. He went from doctors classifying him as borderline failure to thrive (not on the chart for his age) to now being 30.5 inches long (73rd percentile), head is 48.3 cm (95th percentile), and weight is 21 pounds 10 ounces (56th percentile). Food was really medicine for him. I found the WAPF while he was having weight gain issues, and I was looking for the best way to not only help him gain weight but flood his body with nutrients once we started solid foods.

He was born very quickly with a nuchal hand, which caused the plates in his head to shift and he could not transfer milk well. It took until four months to figure out, and he didn’t complete craniosacral therapy until about seven months. I started exclusively pumping for a while, but he still had quite a bit of weight to make up. So, when he started solids at six months, I wanted to give him the best. These nutrient dense foods or “sacred” foods that WAPF recommends allowed him to start gaining weight quickly, complete catch up growth, and have crazy hair growth so that he needed a haircut at nine months. I noticed his head grew the most (I just knew all that healthy fat was building his brain), and the cod liver oil made his face go from narrow to round with a wide jaw and optimal facial structure. I mix his cod liver oil with half an avocado and coconut oil to mask the flavor and also add Himalayan sea salt and kelp flakes for iodine, and he has no problem with it. I call it my “supercharged guacamole”.

I started with avocados, egg yolks, veggies with grass-fed butter and grass-fed collagen, and salmon and sweet potato. I really focused on seafood (salmon, shrimp, tuna, salmon eggs) since those were the cultures with the most optimal face structures, but I also would cook grass-fed ground beef with liver and combine that with carrots, sweet potato, or squash and fat. I think this trains kids to be healthy eaters. I now have a one-year-old who devours salmon and veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers)! His first birthday breakfast was salmon lox, a runny egg, avocado, and sautéed spinach.
At his one year appointment, the doctor was amazed! He now even has a love for drums and rhythm, which is a good sign of problem-solving skills. My husband even played his trumpet a little bit in front of Noah, and then he gave it to him, who put it to his mouth and pressed the buttons like he was going to play.

Thank you again for all your work and research. I would love to spread the word of the WAPF in any way I can

Chelsea Thiede

Holt, MI

Want more?

For more ideas for healthy, easy family meals, subscribe for my FREE two week meal plan!
For ideas of how to feed your child nutrient dense food, check out my E-Book, A Recipe for a Healthy Baby.

How can you help your baby get exactly what it needs as it goes through pregnancy?

Most women sign up for a week by week pregnancy update system that explains your babies developments. However, these do not discuss the nutrients that are needed to support these developments and the support your body needs to perform these functions. You should always strive for a nutrient dense diet that contains all the nutrients below on a weekly basis, but boosting micro-nutrient levels of certain key nutrients each trimester can prevent the opportunity for you feeling depleted and power your baby for optimal growth.

For each trimester, I will list some of the main developments for that portion of pregnancy and detail the nutrients that will support you and your baby the most at that time. This is a general overview, but I will have posts that give more detail about specific weeks in other posts.

1st Trimester

Key Developments: heart, brain, nervous system

What are the key nutrients?

Vitamin A –

It is the concert master of your developing baby. Sufficient Vitamin A is required so that all the messages are sent to develop each organ and system of your baby. It is important to be aware that though there are many plant sources that contain the precursor for Vitamin A (i.e. beta-carotene), that doesn’t mean that is Vitamin A or that you personally can make the conversion, especially if you are not eating these plant foods with fat to aid the process. So, when I discuss Vitamin A, I am referring to animal sources like liver, grass-fed butter, egg yolks, etc.

Iron –

It is needed primarily in this time due to the increase in blood supply and the growing placenta. Keeping your iron stores up will prevent anemia and may help with energy. So, eat greens, broccoli, and red meat.

Healthy Fats –

We all love a baby with some chunk, and there is good reason they have it! Add in some coconut oil, grass-fed butter, avocados, fatty fish, and egg yolks.

Vitamin C –

Our energy takes a real hit in the first trimester as our body works on forming the placenta. Vitamin C supports our adrenals and energy, as well as progesterone production. A study in Fertility and Sterility showed that it improves hormone levels and pregnancy success. This could be due to the fact that cortisol is a precursor to progesterone, and if our cortisol is too high (as is probably the case in many Americans due to stress, coffee, dieting, overexercising), our progesterone production is inhibited.

Potassium –

This is another great adrenal supporter, and as you create more blood and fluids, you need to maintain your electrolyte balance. Potassium specifically aids in the unwinding of the adrenals at night. Foods like coconut water, sweet potatoes, spinach, and avocados are great options. One of my favorite in pregnancy is dates. There is a study out of Jordan showing that eating 6 dates a day in the last month of pregnancy can allow women to have a faster, easier birth. So, I ate 6 dates a day my entire pregnancy!

Sodium –

I added sodium for the same reasons as potassium. However, sodium helps to wake up the adrenals and digestion. So, it is best included in the diet in the morning. I love using Himalayan sea salt on my breakfast.

Vitamin B12 –

It is essential for nervous system development.

3-indolcarbonal –

This is a compound that aids in the breakdown of hormones and helps the body excrete them. So, as we produce and utilize estrogen and progesterone, they can be broken down to prevent some pregnancy symptoms due to excessive hormone levels. This can be found in sprouted and fermented foods.

Fiber –

As progesterone production goes on hyper-drive, our digestion slows. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables may be enough, or you may want to research incorporating a fiber supplement or digestive enzymes.

2nd Trimester

Key Developments: movement, senses

What are the key nutrients?

Beta-carotene –

It is great for eye health, and the eyes develop at this time. So, eat some carrots and colorful produce.

Calcium –

Your baby’s cartilage turns to bone at this time. Strong bones need plenty of calcium. Grass-fed, full-fat dairy is a great source of calcium. You can also include greens, sardines, okra, and broccoli.

Magnesium –

Magnesium works with calcium in the formation of the bones. You need a good structure for a building to work. Your baby needs the same. Eat avocados, greens, and pumpkin seeds.

Vitamin K2 –

This nutrient gets confused with Vitamin K1, but is essential for calcium to go to its proper place in the bones. We all want our children to be strong, grow tall, and have great teeth. K2 is the workhorse for all of that, and many humans are deficient due to low-fat diets and not consuming grass-fed dairy. Include grass-fed dairy or a K2 supplement.

Vitamin D –

This nutrient works in tandem with Vitamin A. It is important to have a good balance of both. When there is a deficiency in one, a person may develop toxicity symptoms of the other, and they need each other to perform their functions. Vitamin D works in the bone development, hormones and endocrine function, immune system, brain activity, nervous system, and the heart development.

Zinc –

3rd Trimester

Key Developments: brain, lungs

What are the key nutrients?

Vitamin K2 –

Your babies bones continue to harden, and it is important to make sure the calcium for this goes to the right places. This supports proper formation of the bones. As above, work to include grass-fed dairy like Kerry Gold Butter or raw cheddar cheese and/or a K2 supplement.

Calcium –

It is not only important for bone formation, but it will also help with muscle contraction as you look ahead to labor.

Magnesium –

Magnesium aids in the strengthening of the bones and will help relax your bowels, which may be desired as your organs get squished as the baby grows. If you are struggling with elimination, you may find a magnesium supplement helpful like Ancient Minerals spray or Natural Vitality’s Natural Calm.

Vitamin D –

The third trimester is the period of the most rapid growth. The baby utilizes Vitamin D for their skeletal growth.

Phosphorus –

This is also critical for rapid and proper skeletal growth.

Healthy Fats –

This really promotes brain growth in this critical phase. Plus, your baby builds its fat stores at this time to prepare for growth once outside the womb.

Nutrient Density is KEY

Again, I want to emphasize the key for the entire pregnancy (and let’s just include fertility, postpartum, breastfeeding, and life in general) is NUTRIENT DENSITY every day. This is not a life sentence to never have something again (like your favorite chocolate cake), but the more you center your diet around real, nutritious food, the more you and your baby will thrive! You may even enjoy being pregnant from time to time 🙂